With the convenience of a cafeteria and grab-and-go meals, homemade meals are rare for many college students. Yet some still make time to prepare and enjoy meals with friends in their dorms and houses.
Junior Mary Elizabeth “Daisy” Jordan said she recalls cooking for her family before she was old enough to talk. Now, she and her brother, senior John Jordan, host dinners every week at John’s on-campus house.
“The nutritional content of the food is generally better for you if you make it at home,” Daisy said. “But it is also nourishing for the soul to know somebody cared enough to make it for you.”
Daisy said homemade meals are wholesome for the body, mind, and soul as attendees must be selfless and ensure there is enough food for everyone.
Junior Brian Knewtson, who regularly attends the Jordan siblings’ dinners, said the homey atmosphere brings people closer.
“There is something about being in a home and having a meal, even if it’s still an on-campus house,” Knewtson said. “I remember wishing people happy birthdays and having some very important conversations with my friends at dinner.”
Sophomore Mary Boudreaux said she helps make Sunday brunches at her house throughout the semester. Her family and Louisianian heritage taught her the importance of food and hospitality, she said.
“My mom has been hosting events in our community for as long as I can remember, and she always has such a gift for making others feel loved and appreciated through them,” Boudreaux said. “It’s been really special for me to carry on my family’s tradition here at Hillsdale.”
Boudreaux said she prepares and serves foods like lasagnas, breakfast casseroles, and desserts in large pans with sides of fruit and bagels to feed large crowds.
“We’ve definitely perfected our methods since we first started,” Boudreaux said. “We’ve also been figuring out different helpful tricks for keeping down costs or finding substitutes for more obscure ingredients.”
According to Boudreaux, flexibility, creativity, and shopping cost-effectively are necessary life skills.
Sophomore Clare Horvath helped host Sunday dinners at her dorm last semester to foster a welcoming community.
“I remember the first week we had a couple of girls, and then the next week they brought their friends, and more and more people came over,” Horvath said. “Everyone was always happy to do dishes and chip in for food, which was really cool.”
Horvath said she prepared her dishes using simple ingredients from the store. Her favorite meal to prepare was egg roll bowls for dinner with fried apples for dessert, she said.
“It’s easier to cook a meal for people than I thought,” she said. “If there’s a recipe, it’s not that hard to figure it out.”
Jordan said homemade meals are not about perfection but building genuine community.
“Don’t be afraid of cooking,” Jordan said. “I think a lot of people are nervous to make bad food, but taste as you go and try to figure out what you and people like. Just do it.”
